Automobile bumper



Mar@ 5? E92@ Q. H. @mm-Z AUTOMOBILE BUMPER Filed. Dec. 1%@ i926 PatentedMar. 5, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,703,932 PATENT OFFICE.

OSCAR H. GOETZ, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN CHAINCOMPANY, INC., .A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

AUTOMOBILE BUMPER.

Application led December 14, 1926. Serial No. 154,727.

rllhis invention relates to automobile bumpers, and more particularly tobumpers of the multiple bar type, an object of the invention being toprovide a multi-bar bumper with improved reinforcing members between theimpact portion and the rear bar.

Another object of the invention is to provide a multi-bar bumper of theloop-end type with reinforcing members or cross conneclo tions betweenits impact and rear portions,

' the reinforcing members being formed in a continuation of the loopstructure at each end of the upper and lower bars of the impact section.

A clear conception of the construction and objects of the invention maybe had from the following description and accompanying drawings, inwhich Fig. l is a plan view of the preferred form 2o of the bumper;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a modified form of the bumper;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a further modilied form;

Fig. 4 is a front view of Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

Fig. 5 is a cross section at 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a cross section at 6--6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a cross-section through 7-7 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a cross-section through 8-8 of Fig. 4.

rFlic now preferred form of 'the invention shown in- Figs. l and 4comprises an impact section formed of three bars. The main or 3e centralbar l is formed with loop ends 2, the continuations of which arelaterally bent toward each other and bolted together at 3 to form a rearor connecting bar which lies in the same horizontal plane as the central.fio bar l of the impact member.

Parallel to and in the same vertical plane with main bar l are twoauxiliary bars 6 and 7, which are supported above and below the main barl by means of spacing and clamping members 6 and 9, the spacing member 8being set at the middle of the impact portion, and serving to clamp andspace the bars l, 6 and 7. Spacing and clamping members 9 are positionedmidway between spacing 5a member 8 andthe loop ends of the bars 6 and 7,and are used as a connecting and clamping means for the free ends ofbars 6 and 7 which are formed with ioop ends 4 and 4 of substantiallysame curvature as loop 2.

At the point 5 'where the free ends of loops 44 and 4 leave the line ofcurvature of loop ends 4 and 4 the ends of the bars 6 and 7 are clampedby means of a clamp 5 bolted to the bars as shown in Fig. 4 holding themsecurely aligned in a vertical plane.

In Fig. l the free ends of bars 6 and 7 are brought forward as shown at10, to the back of the impact portion of their respective bars, andclamped by means of clamp 9.

ln Fig. 2 the free ends of bars 6 and 7 are brought forward in anS-shape as shown at and clamped to the back of their respective impactportions by clamps 9.

ln Fig. 23 the free ends of bars 6 and 7 are brought forward to formstraight struts, inclined-at -an angle of about degrees as shown at 30,'and clamped by clamps 9.

'lhe struts 30 and the S-shaped reinforcements 20, in Figs. 3 and 2respectively, may be either integral continuations of the bar portions 6and 7 or may be separately formed parts in continuation thereof, clampedin place at 5 and 9 respectively, and using preferably the type of clampshown in Fig. 5 for both regions.

Clamp 8, as shown in Fig. 6, may be a die casting, having curved lips l1suitable to hold the edges of bars 6 and 7 in engagement with the lugsor bosses 12. rlhese bosses are threaded to accommodate bolts 14, andare placed at a sufcient distance apart to accommodate bar l. rear orclamping plate 15 is forced by bolts 14 into engagement with bars 1, 6and 7, holding them securely and aligning them in a vertical plane.

rlhe clamp 9 is of the same general construction as-clamp 8, with theexception that the lips Ill are extended suciently to allow for holdingbars 6 and 7, and also the free ends 10 of the same bars.

rlhis tvpe of bumper, having reinforcing means of any of theforms shown,is capable of sustaining a sharper impact than the 0rdinary type of barbumper. The Afront or impact portion will also return to its normalposition quicker because of the resiliency of the reinforcing members,except when use is `made of the struts shown in Fig. 3, which may bereadiiy substituted when greater rigidity is desirable on account of theparticular use to which the bumper lis to be By making the reinforcingmembers separately, provision may be made for ready adaptation of thistype of bumper to di'erent requirements in service without necessitatinga substitution of different impact bars 6 and 7, and the necessarychange can be effected by a purchaser, Without need for special skill,or for drilling or machining any of the parts.

The clamping member shown in Fig. 7 consists of a strip of metal haringits upper and lower edge portions bent square, and a rear plate 18consisting of a straight strip of metal, both strips being drilled withholes to accommodate bolts 15, which pass through washers 19 set betweenthe bars 1, (i and 7, thereby holding the liars in spaced relation witheach other.

The. clamp at 5 in Fig. 4 is shown in Fig. 8 and consists of a plate 2lhaving a curved lip at each end and holes of a suflicient size toaccommodate bolts 5 which engage the lug-shaped parts 22. The bars 1, Gand 7 are spaced and held by the lips and lugs, and are forced intoclose engagement with bar 21 by means of bolts l5.

rlhe structures shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6 herein form the subject ofclaims in my copendin applications Ser. No. 154,726, filed Decem er 14,1926, and Ser. No. 304,961, filed September 10, 1928.

1. An automobile bumper comprising as a main element a bumper barconstructed in a horizontal plane, having a front impact portion withloop-ends, and a rear attaching portion formed in continuation of saidloopends, said bumper comprising also auxiliary impact bars with loopends, supported by said main bar in vertical alignment with the impactportion and loop ends thereof, and means cross-connecting said loops ofthe auxiliary bars to their respective impact portions.

2. An automobile bumper comprising as a main element a bumper barconstructed in a horizontal plane, having a front impact por tion withloop-ends, and a rear attaching portion formed in continuation of saidloopends, said bumper comprising also auxiliary impactI bars With loopends, supported by said main bar in vertical alignment with the impactportion and loop ends thereof, and means cross-connecting said loops ofthe auxiliary bars to their respective impact portions at regions spacedlaterally from each other, and spaced inwardly from the lateralextremities of said loops.

3. An automobile bumper comprising as a main element a bumper barconstructed in a horizontal lane, having a front impact portion With lportion formed in continuation of said loop ends, said bumper comprisingalso auxiliary impact bars with loop ends, supported by said main bar invertical alignment with the impact portion and loop ends thereof, andmeans cross-connecting said loops of the auxiliary bars to theirrespective impact poroop ends, and a rear attaching tions, saidcross-connections including means to connect the loops of said auxiliarybars to the loops of said main bar.

4. An automobile bumper comprising as a main element a bumper barconstructed in a horizontal plane, having a front impact portion withloop ends, and a rear attaching portion formed in continuation of saidloop ends, said bumper comprising also auxiliary impact bars With loopends, support-ed by said main bar in vertical alignment with the impactportion and loop ends thereof, and means crossconnecting said loops ofthe auxiliary bars to their respective impact portions, said crossconnections including means to connect the impact portions of saidauxiliary bars to the impact portion of said main bar.

5. An automobile bumper comprising as a main element a bumper barconstructed in a horizontal plane, having a front impact portion withloop ends, and a rear attaching portion formed in continuation of saidloop ends, said bumper comprising also auxiliary impact bars With loopends, supported by said main bar in vertical alignment with the impactportion and loop ends thereof, and means cross-connecting said loops ofthe auxiliary bars to their respective impact portions, saidcross-connection including means to connect the impact portions of saidauxiliary barsI to the impact portion of said main bar, and saidcross-connections including means to connect the loops of said auxiliarybars to the loops of said main bar.

6. An automobile bumper comprising as a main element a bumper barconstructed in a horizontal plane, having a front impact portion withloop-ends, and a rear attaching portion formed in continuation of saidloop ends, said bumper comprising also auxiliary impact bars supportedby said main bar in ver- .tical alignment with the impact portion andloop ends thereof, and means cross-connecting the impact portions ofsaid auxiliary bars with the rearvard loop portions thereof at regionsspaced laterally from each other and spaced from the ends of said loops,the regions of connection with the impact portions being nearer themiddle of said bumper than the regions of connection with said rearwardloop portions.

7. An automobile bumper comprising as a main element a bumper barconstructed in a horizontal plane, having a front impact portion withloop ends, and a rear attaching portion formed in continuation of saidloop ends,. said bumper comprising also auxiliary impact bars supportedby said main bar in vertical alignment With the impact portion and loopends thereof, and the ends of the loop portions of said auxiliary barsbeing brought forward and connected to their respective impact portions.

8. An automobile bumper' comprising as a main element abumper barconstructed in a horizontal plane, having a front impact portion withloop ends, and a rear attaching portion formed in continuation of saidloop ends, said bumper comprising also auxiliary impact bars supportedby and clamped to said main bar in vertical alignment With the impactportions, and loop ends thereof, the free ends of said auxiliary barsbeing drawn forward to constitute resilient struts at their forwardportions to their impact portions respectively, and secured to said rearbar at the region Where said connections depart from alignmenttherewith.

9. An automobile bumper comprisingl as a main element a bulnper barconstructed in a horizontal plane, having a frontV impact portion withloop ends, and a rear attaching portion formed in continuation of saidloop ends, said bumper comprising also auxiliaryv impact bars supportedby and clamped to said main bar in vertical alignment with the impactportions, and loop ends thereof, the free ends of said auxiliary barsbeing drawn forward to constitute S-shaped struts at their forwardportions to their impact portions respectively, and secured to said rearbar at the region Where said connections depart from alignmenttherewith.

l0. An automobile bumper comprising as a main element a bumper barconstructed in a horizontal plane, having a front impact portion withloop ends, and a rear attaching poi tion formed in continuation of saidloop ends, said bumper comprising also auxiliary im pact bars supportedby said main bar in ver tical alignment with the impact portion and loopends thereof, and separately formed members closing said auxiliary loopsrespecm tively and cross-connecting said impact portions thereof Withthe rearwardly extending portions of said loops.

1l. An automobile bumper comprising as a main element a bumper bai.'constructed in a horizontal plane, having a front impact portion Withloop ends, and a rear attaching portion formed in continuation of saidloop ends, said bumper comprising also auxiliary impact bars supported bv said main bar in vertical alignment with the impact portion and loopends thereof and separatelyv formed 'resilient struts secured to thefree ends of said auxiliary bars and to their respective impactportions, and serving as cross-connections therebetween.

12. A clamping device for multi-bar bumpers of the type described, saidClamping device comprising a plate having lips to confine the bars attheir outer edges, and bolts passing through said plate and between saidbars. said bolts having spacing parts thereon to hold said bars indesired relation to each other and to said lipsA` said spacing partsalso being formed, each as an integral structure with a member of itsbolt, with lips to confine said bars and hold them against said plate.

13. A clamping device for multi-bar bumpers of the type described, saidclamping de vice comprising a plate having lip-s to contine the bars attheir outer edges and spacing parts to hold said bars in. the desiredrelation. to each otherand said lips, and said spacing parts co-actingdirectly with bolts passing 'through said plate to hold said barsagainst said plate.

ln testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

OSCAR H.

